hello everyone its me again lol
i was just wondering what to do about tilly? she's been growling a lot since she had her puppies last week.
to start it was just my husband and would occasionly growl at me but let me help her anyway.
so today i took her to the vets as she was scratching her ears a lot and she was so grumpy and growly towards anyone that we saw? if anybody has popped in our house (its very hectic at times) she wants to bark be happy to see everyone tail wagging then she will start growling again?
she's now doing it even when we go in the room? worried now because of the kids, and when people come an visit the puppies god what will they think?
she's a lovely beautiful friendly dog 99% of the time, although she would on occasion growl if any one invaded her space whilst eating. but i always kinda understood that as its her food after all i would probaly growl if felt someone was gonna maybe nick my food!

thanks kelly

> growling a lot

New mums are often very protective of their babies and it's not unknown for them to growl a bit if they feel threatened. If you think about it, the bitch has been through a lot to have her litter and she is bound to be a bit hormonal. I like to keep my new mums quiet in the early stages. I make sure they can't see our other dogs for a few days until they settle down. It should wear off, certainly in good time for viewing. I should leave that till around 4 weeks though. I think that's soon enough for viewing/socialisation myself.

Did the vet prescribe anything for her ears? Maybe she's been a bit uncomfortable with them irritating her too.

She sounds very normal though, enjoy this time with her and the pups, it's always special.

think you have really answered this yourself, :) as you say your house can be very hetic at times so you bitch is grumpy and growling as she is protecting her babies, she needs to be in a quiet room with no visitors and no one handling the puppies apart from you, she will then feel safe and more relaxed then by the time the puppies are more mobile and acting like puppies she will allow more people to see her lovely family she has produced, and puppy viewing should not really take place tell puppies are at least 4 or 5 weeks old.

I don't let anybody into my house until the pups are at least 3 weeks old for fear of infection, even my own children (and they're not really children at 14,16,18,20) aren't allowed to handle them in the early weeks, mum needs to feel safe in her whelping box without feeling threatened to look after her new family.

At this early stage she needs to be kept in a quiet, out-of-the-way place to nurse her babies in peace. She sounds rather stressed with too much activity around her and is letting you know she's not happy with the situation. Her hormones are all over the place, and even the best-natured bitch needs to be respected at this time. Bitches which feel their babies are at risk have been known to kill them :-( so keep visitors, even your children, to a minimum at least until the puppies' eyes are open. And don't allow anyone outside the family to visit them till about three weeks.

When people were coming to veiw my pups mum would bark and scream at them as if to say get away from my babies. Dad was very protective too which was a surprise as he is normally so laid back.

What age were the pups when you were letting people come, flufffluff39? I don't let people come til the pups are about 4 weeks. By that stage, the mums tend to be far more relaxed.

They were 8 weeks old after their first injection!!

I expect seeing such aggression from the parents put people off, didn't it? Sound temperament is so important.

tHANKS

i had 1 girl that would let any1 in to see her babys and she would just lie there with a smile ....the other girl would bark like made till she had had a snif at you ,then she was fine .but i wouldnt let people come to view till pups were at least 4weeks old ,family from 2weeks .x